Introduction

Perched high above a rugged landscape of rolling hills and sheer, wind-carved cliffs, Clifftop Citadel stands as a commanding sentinel over the land below. To travelers, it appears impenetrable, yet within its formidable defenses lie hidden passageways known only to a select few. Beneath the grandeur, far below the echoing halls, the citadel’s dungeons conceal deep secrets and long-buried truths, waiting in the darkness for those unfortunate or brave enough to uncover them. The lord and lady of the citadel plot the expansion of their dominion across the wider realm, aided by allies whose loyalties are as treacherous as they are concealed. The question that lingers over the kingdom is simple yet dire: what will be their next move?

Key features:

Round tower and counter-siege trebuchet: A novel design creates a robust round tower not commonly seen in Lego castles, housing a stable and armoury. Atop the tower sits an intimidating functioning counter-siege trebuchet, ready to defend against any invaders; think twice about attacking this castle!
A castle with a bailey; when closed the structure forms a bailey in the middle of the model, where castle life plays out. The stone masons continue to build the last remaining parts of the castle, the baker mills the flour and an entertainer wows the crowds!
The model is fully openable, allowing complete access to the numerous rooms with the cellar meeting room sliding out of the model. You will find a dungeon, vault, meeting room, functioning windmill, library, kitchen and much more. The big round tower also lifts out for additional access to the dungeon.
A secure inner keep: even if the outer walls were to fall, the garrison can defend from the inner walls of the keep, ringing the town bell when danger is close
Packed with detail; a minifigure can “walk” throughout a model full of details and easter eggs for lego enthusiasts to find
13 minifigures in addition to a statue and skeleton. This model includes a variety of medieval minifigures, accessories and a number of the new faction minifigures
Two secret escape routes. A daring escape route can be found via a secret passageway in the kitchen leading through the treacherous waterfalls. The dungeon also looks secure, but prisoners keep mysteriously disappearing somehow…

Closing remarks

Having submitted castle-themed designs for Series 8 and 9, I was eager to continue developing and refining some of my previous designs. The positive feedback I received from the community on my Stormcairn Fortress design in Series 9 encouraged me to push the concept further. In doing so, I focused on two key principles: accessibility and visual clarity. Many of the original castle’s features were partially obscured by surrounding structures, which reduced their overall display impact. Clifftop Citadel is a reimagined evolution of Stormcairn Fortress, with key elements such as the round tower, waterfall, drawbridge, and interior rooms repositioned and resized (and a key swap from grey bricks to white bricks for the castle itself!) to create a more open, balanced, and visually striking layout.

Please comment your thoughts and feedback below, I would love to hear your ideas for improvement! Lastly best of luck to every designer entering a submission and I look forward to seeing the five finalist designs!